By Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Vice President Kamala Harris has a political career that is classic textbook. She leveraged her legal training at the University of California into a position in the district attorney’s office.
Then she ran for San Francis-co district attorney, beating the incumbent in a runoff election. She came out on top of a crowded Democratic primary for California attorney general, and narrowly defeated her Republican opponent for the office in 2010.
She overwhelmingly beat her Republican opponent when she ran for reelection in 2014. When she ran for the United States Senate in 2016, she garnered twice as many votes as the next-highest vote-getter, and in the final election earned more than 60% of the vote.
The vice president’s electoral history is well-known, and I recount it for a reason. Kamala Harris earned increasing responsibility by running for office and winning.
There is no diversity, equity and inclusion in electoral politics. The only way you move up is to get more votes than your opponent. If there is any DEI in the Harris record, it’s Definitely Earned It.
Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett made headlines by describing our vice president as a “DEI hire,” describing her as “checking all the boxes.”
Her electoral record refutes that. The vice president didn’t just drop out of a coconut tree, to paraphrase her. She has worked for every office she has earned.
To be sure, she was selected to serve as President Biden’s running mate. But she would not have been selected had she not been elected so many times.
If the rabid Republicans stuck to describing our vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as DEI, that would be an ill-placed slur.
But former President Trump and his equally woman-hating running mate have stooped even lower, describing our vice president as “garbage,” “bum” and “crazy.” Throw a little “San Francisco liberal” in there to complete the predictable cocktail of slurs and attacks. No one is surprised by the Trump slurs, as the former president is amazingly consistent in his approach to his opponents.
Indeed, the inarticulate nature of his slurs leads one to question his mental competency and suggest that he be tested for his comprehension. One wonders how his verbal vomit will survive any international negotiations.
Trump’s vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, has the same relationship with truth as his boss, Mr. Trump, does.
In making his case against “childless cat ladies,” he accuses Democrats, including Vice President Harris, of being “anti-family,” but it is Democrats that have advocated pro-family policies, including the child tax credit that would lift millions of children out of poverty.
Like Trump, Vance does not mind telling outright lies.
Kamala Harris is used to the lies, the slurs, the white male disdain. She’s had to deal with that through much of her career, as most women in power have. Trump is an expert at disparaging women, attacking their looks (Carly Fiorina, E. Jean Carroll), their clothing (Nikki Haley), their mental acuity (Nancy Pelosi) and more.
All I say to these rabid Republicans is, “bring it.” Vice President Kamala Devi Harris has time enough for you.
Mr. Vance has described the Harris candidacy as a “gut punch” to the Trump-Vance ticket.
Instead of campaigning against a Biden they’d described as “old” and feeble, they’ve got an opponent who is young, energetic and vital. Instead of debating the Biden who failed to challenge Trump on his incessant lies in the late June debate, he will be debating the prosecutor who sliced and diced Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
Vice President Harris is not a gut punch, she is a knockout punch. She has definitely earned the nomination of her party, and indeed the presidency.
DEI, indeed! Definitely earned it!
Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. She is also President of PUSH Excel, the education arm of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. You may reach her at juliannemalveaux.com
